Due to recent advancements in robotics, aeronautics, wireless technology, sensor technology, and battery technology, many tasks that were previously performed by human labor and mechanical means are now performed by specialized autonomous devices. These devices have disrupted entire industries, from manufacturing and assembly to logistics and supply chain. The most obvious and least complex of these autonomous systems involve environments that are highly controlled and deterministic in nature. Certain other applications have been slower to adopt computerized automation. These typically involve dynamically evolving requirements and require complex adaptation to external stimuli. Despite these challenges, a wide range of industries, including those in the consumer and entertainment space, are beginning to incorporate computerized automation.
Examples include self-driving cars and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) delivery services, which are both attracting significant resource and investment. UAVs in particular, also known as “drones,” have advanced significantly in recent years. In the past, UAVs were limited to research, military, and other niche applications due to their high cost, restrictions by government aviation agencies, and limited capabilities. Modern UAVs are capable of carrying heavier payloads, traveling greater distances, and providing more sensory information than ever before. Other applications of UAV technology include real-time meteorology devices and atmospheric satellites providing Internet access and wireless services to remote geographical locations around the world.
For unmanned vehicles, such as UAVs, this shift to more sophisticated applications is accelerating as governments amend regulatory frameworks that were primarily designed for the regulation of passenger aircraft. Thus, efforts are underway to ease the regulatory burden of developing unmanned vehicle technologies. For example, in the United States, the Federal Aviation Authority has implemented rules to specifically define operational limitations of UAVs and certification requirements of UAV pilots.
These advancements have together incentivized industry experts to invest in faster development of unmanned vehicle technologies, as well as innovative new applications of those technologies in the consumer and commercial space.